Unwilling Apprentice
by coldfiredragon
Summary: When Slade made Robin his apprentice he broke Robin emotionally and mentally. Now Robin must recover but is recovery possible when one feels worthless?
1. Prologue

We looked for him for two whole months before he walked back into our lives on the leash of a madman. The day Robin returned to us as Slade's Apprentice almost shattered our will to continue fighting. We didn't want to fight him. He had been our leader and a good friend to all of us but there he was, before our very eyes, as a villain.

You could tell immediately just by looking at him that something had been broken inside of him. His movements were almost too fluid and inhuman. It was like his body was there but the mind that would have prevented Robin from attacking us was gone. I had never seen him like that and I never want to see it again.

I know that we will though. We have to fight him, just like we would fight against any other villain. He may have been our friend at one point but if what I saw of him during our last battle is what he has become than the Robin we knew is gone. We had this discussion when we finally got back to the tower. If Robin really has turned against us then we have no choice but to take him down before we can hurt anyone.

A couple of tears slip down my face and I bury my head in my pillow to keep the others from hearing my sobs. Robin can't be gone. He would never just switch sides and fight against us. He would never do it willingly I'm sure of it. He's been such a great leader and good friend to all of us. He would never willingly turn against us.

Maybe if I keep telling myself that it will turn out to be true. Yes, it has to be true; Robin wouldn't willingly fight against us. Slade has done something to brainwash him against us. He did something to break him. We have to save him. I know it can't be his fault. However, there is a still a rational part of my brain telling me that Robin could have turned against us. He might have willingly become Slade's apprentice. I don't know what would have caused the sudden change of heart. For now though, I'm going to believe my instincts and hope that Robin our Robin is still alive and that we can bring him back to our side.

I have a sinking feeling that will we have to fight him to save him though. We will have to get him away from Slade and I don't know if that will be possible. From what I have seen of Slade I know that he doesn't like to lose and loosing Robin would be a crush to his ego that he won't easily allow to happen.

It doesn't matter though; I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that Robin at least gets a chance to explain what happened to him and why he turned against us. We owe him that chance because he's such a good friend. I hope that when he explains it will be an explanation that will allow us to welcome him back with open arms. I have to keep hoping that Slade has done something that can be reversed and that Robin was fighting us against his will.

I don't want to think about the consequences that will happen if Robin actually turned against us. I don't want to think about them and I'm not going to because if I give up on Robin than I might as well give up on everything else. Robin was the rock that held the Titans together. He was the glue and if we don't get him back than I'm afraid that there won't be a Titans any more. All I can do is hope that the Robin we knew still exists somewhere inside of the monster that Slade turned him into and that we can get our Robin back. I know that deep down the others feel the same way and it is unspoken among all of us that if we can save Robin we will. We have to try or we will never forgive ourselves.


	2. Desperate for Praise

**Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. **

**Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. **

**Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter.**

This chapter is told from Robin's point of view and takes place before the monologue by the character in Chapter 1.

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I lie on the narrow cot that serves as my bed and stare at the ceiling. In truth I'm not really seeing anything because it takes too much effort to concentrate and even if I could concentrate there would be nothing to see that I haven't already seen. Since arriving here I've lost track of time. I only know when Slade shows up to train me as his Apprentice.

At first I resisted with everything I could muster but eventually the fight became too much for my weakened body and I began putting up less and less of a fight. I regretted that I couldn't fight but there was nothing I could do. I was too weak and I didn't have the strength to fight so I began letting them do whatever they wanted to do to me.

I remember when, in the days following my capture, Slade would come to my room and taunt me or tell me how well I would do as his apprentice. I hated him when he told me that I would serve him willingly. I hated him even more when he told me that _"Perhaps in time you can see me as a father." _I had hissed that I already had a father and I had meant it. I had sworn that Slade would never break me.

Now I'm not so sure that I hate him. All I know now is that when I don't fight him it is less painful for me and I'm grateful for that. I never thought I would admit to be being grateful to a villain for anything. All I know is that when I obey him and listen to him the pain is less.

After weeks of physical and emotional torture I'm desperate for any kindness and I remember the first time he praised me for something I had done. I think it was the first time I gave up without a fight when they came to remove me from my room. I remember him standing over my shaking body with a smile on his face

"Very good Robin." It was so simple and so welcome to my ears. After being told day after day that I was worthless hearing those simple words of congratulations set my spirits soaring. I had felt like a little kid trying to live up to his father's strictest standards and then finally being blessed with a slight nod of approval. It was a lot like when I had first started training under Batman. It had been hard to get his approval. The difference between Slade and Batman was that Batman never beat me. There would be times when I would be bruised and sore from a training session but he never actually beat me.

At the same time that I was reveling in Slade's simple praise, his words had hurt as well. I knew I was so desperate for kindness and that the path of least resistance would keep me alive the longest but I had still accepted praise from a man who was trying to ruin everything I held deemed important in my life.

He was trying to destroy my belief in the forces of good and he was crushing the hope I was holding on to that my friends would find me. For the first time in years I felt completely abandoned and alone. It was a feeling I hadn't felt since I was a kid and my parents had just died. Believe me there is no worse feeling than when the world of a child caves in on them and leaves them struggling with so many emotions that they can't deal with any of them.

What made the feeling of abandonment grow was the fact that there was no end in sight and no outlet to release my emotions. At least when I was a child I had had someone to turn to. Bruce might not have been the best emotional role model but he knew what it was like for a child to loose their parents and he helped me through the worst times.

Now though the only comfort in sight comes from the lips of a madman who is trying to destroy everything that makes me the person I am the person that Bruce and Batman helped me become. I don't want to loose that part of myself but I feel my mind slipping farther and farther away from my body as my body continues to work through every scenario that Slade puts me through. There are days when it is almost as if I am watching myself from a distance. I will see how my movements have changed; they are more fluid and automatic now. There is no thought to them because there is no mind to feel remorse or even care.

I'm vaguely aware that Slade beats me on a regular basis and that I still fail too much for his liking but there are those rare occasions when he praises me and my spirits will soar and another little piece of my soul dies.

There are some nights, after I've been returned to my room, that I will actually cry myself to sleep. I haven't cried since I was a child but I hate what I'm becoming. I hate the constant sting of the wounds on my body and the fact that I'm not doing anything to stop the pain I'm in. I won't scream in front of him though. That is the only dignity I have left and I intend to hold on to it for as long as I can. Batman told me once that screaming was what they wanted you to do and that you couldn't give into them. You couldn't give them what they want and when you did that was when they had broken you.

I'm trying to follow that but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. It would be so easy to just give up and become Slade's apprentice. All I would have to do would be to break down and allow myself to give into the pain. It would be so easy but I'll hold out until I can't hold out anymore and hopefully I'll be rescued before my will fails me.

Abruptly I'm pulled from my thoughts when the door to my room slides open and Slade enters. Almost without thinking about it I stand as a sign of respect. Much to my happiness Slade nods in approval and motions for me to follow him out of the room. He leads me to the room where he trains me and gives me a complicated list of scenarios to go through. I memorize the list knowing that if I screw up I will be punished and I don't want to be punished, I want to be praised.

The sequence he gave me took nearly two hours to complete and much to my relief I actually got it all right. This time Slade actually claps and congratulates me by placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing slightly.

"You are doing well this week Robin. Soon your training will be complete. Go back to your room now and I will come get you later." I nod slightly and immediately leave. My mind is reeling from the sheer amount of approval he had given me. He hadn't degraded me verbally, nor hit me and I was on cloud nine. Suddenly my mind comes crashing back to reality and I realize just what I had been thinking. It hurts but I had made it through without a beating and my mind overrides the little voice telling me that I should feel ashamed.

Slade returns to my room later that day to find me lying on the bed. I don't hear him come in until he is looming over me and I feel fear grip my chest as he stands over me.

"You are supposed to stand." I scramble to my feet and stand there shaking as I wait for my beating. He continues. "Maybe I gave you too much praise this morning." I suddenly can't breathe and I feel tears well in my eyes. I have disappointed him and I know it. Slade lifts my chin up and examines me.

"I'll have to punish you. You need to learn that I'm the one in charge. You won't learn to be my apprentice until I teach you." He reaches down to a pouch that hangs on his belt and begins to open it. I immediately back up until I fall over the bed but before I can completely fall Slade reaches out and grabs my wrist to steady me. With an angry sigh he awkwardly throws me on the bed and goes back to the pouch. After a couple minutes of fiddling with it he withdraws a small vial of clear liquid and a needle. With practiced hands he draws out a perfectly measured dose and replaces the vial in the pouch.

Through the whole process I've been watching him. I know what that drug will do to me. It will help to destroy the fragile control that I maintain on my old self. While it courses through me it affects my ability to think and when it wears off it leaves me more and more detached from myself.

I cry out as Slade grabs my wrist and pulls up the sleeve of the thin shirt I'm wearing to reveal the tract marks from where he has given me this drug before. He immediately finds a vein and injects the drug. Almost immediately I feel light headed and disoriented. The last thing I see is Slade standing over me and I can vaguely make out his words as he speaks.

"You will obey me Robin. You belong to me and no one else."

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**Alexnandru Van Gordon:** Your review is definitly the quickest I haveever recieved a review for a story. Thanks very much, I appreciate it. I put up the second chapter just so you wouldn't haunt me 8') I hope you enjoy it. I have to agree with you though, there is way too much romance between Titans. As things stand now you won't see any of it here. I hope you like how I handled things between Robin and Slade. There will be more of it in the next chapter. Keep reading. 


	3. Broken

**Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. **

**Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. **

**Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter

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****_NOTES FOR THIS CHAPTER_**

_**"quotations" speech  
**Italics _thoughts

This chapter takes place immediatly following Chapter 2. It starts when Robin wakes up from the effects of the drug. If things don't make sense at times it is intentional because a person waking up from a drug induced haze is going to be disoriented.

**_WARNING_** This chapter is dark, I repeat dark, you have been warned.

**Reviews: **The outpouring of reviews so far has been amazing. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you like the new chapter.

Now on with the story.

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I came to after what I assume was a period of several hours. I try to remember what had happened but every time I try my thoughts scatter like a flock of birds and I'm left panting and exhausted by the effort. The drug that Slade gives me does this to me every time. It knocks me out and then when I finally wake up I can't think straight. A couple of tears track down my cheeks and I fight to hold them back. 

Suddenly I hear the sound of the door sliding open and I try to push myself into a sitting position. My arms and legsfeel like jelly and refuse to hold me up so I fall back on the bed in a shaking heap. I can hear Slade's dry laughter as he approaches me and rolls me over so he can see my face.

"Pathetic." A wave of guilt floods through my mind but for the life of me I can't remember why I feel guilty. Through the chaos that clouds my mind I realize that I have disappointed and failed him for something. I can't remember what I failed to do though. He towers over me and fear grips by drug induced body.

"You have to work harder my dear apprentice. You will never live up to my expectations

Suddenly I hear the sound of the door sliding open and I try to push myself into a sitting position. My arms and legsfeel like jelly and refuse to hold me up so I fall back on the bed in a shaking heap. I can hear Slade's dry laughter as he approaches me and rolls me over so he can see my face.

if you don't work harder."

_Apprentice? The name makes sense. Yes, I'm Slade's apprentice and I've disappointed him. _I know there is something I'm forgetting though, I don't think I was always Slade's apprentice. _Wasn't I someone else at some point? Someone who didn't suffer?_ I can't remember who I was before Slade had begun training me. Slade is still speaking and I try to focus on his words.

"You have always been my apprentice but I can't let you fully take over your duties at my side until you stop failing me. You are stronger than this my dear apprentice you just have to accept it embrace your full potential."

As he speaks I feel a sense of excitement building inside of me. _If I just work a little harder I can do what is expected of me and he will be proud of me._ The need for others to be proud of me is something that I know I've also tried to accomplish.

Fragments of memory flash through my mind. They are memories of another who I tried to impress but the images are not clear and don't make a lot of sense. All I gather from them are vague impressions and lingering bits of emotion. I remember being proud when I finally lived up to that others' expectations of me and I want to find that same approval in the words and actions of Slade.

The need for his approval strikes me as wrong though. There is something inside of me telling me that what he is doing and what I am letting him do is wrong. I shouldn't be striving for his approval. I should be fighting against him but I don't know why. It doesn't make sense that the apprentice would want to fight against his master.

"Stand up." At his harsh command I struggle to my feet and stand before him. It is so hard to stand but the effort is worth it when he nods in approval.

"Better my dear apprentice. Now follow me." It takes a lot of effort to force my legs to move so I can follow him but I do it because I know that it will be worse for me if I don't do as he says. He leads me into the training room and turns to look at me. I'm barely keeping myself upright and he smirks maliciously at me.

"I should beat you for failing me earlier." Fear pools in my chest but I say nothing. He walks over to me and tips my chin up so he can look at me. I know he can see the fear in my eyes but he ignores it. "I think I will." He grabs my upper arm and squeezes so hard that I know a bruise is forming.

The pain and the adrenaline that are pumping through my system relieve some of the drug induced haze around my brain and I can hear him speaking softly to me.

"I wouldn't have to hurt you my apprentice if you only listened to me." I focus on his words through my pain and try to make sense of them. For a few seconds I'm able to think coherently enough and memories that have been just out of my grasp return. _I'm not Slade's apprentice, I'm Robin._

"My name is Robin." The words barely escape my lips before Slade back-hands me. I half fall to the floor as Slade tightens his grip on my arm. The fresh waves of pain that flood through me as my arm is nearly bent to the breaking point scatter any thoughts of rebellion and Slade back-hands me again before allowing me to completely fall to the floor. I cradle my arm to me and am relieved to notice that although there is a lot of pain it isn't actually broken. He lets me lie there for a few seconds as he silently fumes. When he does speak it is in a low dangerous voice that terrifies me.

"Remember that you only bring your pain upon yourself my apprentice." I try to scramble away from him as he reaches down to grab my shoulder but I'm too weak and he's much stronger. He yanks me to my feet and I do my best to gain my balance as he begins dragging me toward a cell that is located on the opposite side of the training room.

When he reaches the door he removes a key card from his pocket and inserts it into the lock. The door immediately slides open and he yanks me inside. By this point I know what is happening and I try to struggle out of his hold before the door closes behind us. My attempt at escape fails miserably and he shoves me toward the center of the room.

I land on the floor in a heap and immediately struggle to stand again. I'll fight him if I have and try to lunge past him but he effortlessly side steps my attack and grabs my wrist as I pass. His grip is like steel and I suddenly feel exhausted.

"You shouldn't fight me apprentice." He tightens his grip on my wrist and I have to make a concentrated effort not to scream. "Just give in and it will ease your pain." He reaches up and grabs a set of shackles that are hanging from a chain. He then lifts my wrist and clamps the shackle around it. My other wrist quickly follows and I'm left hanging there with the tips of my toes barely brushing the ground.

The pain in my shoulders is terrible but there is nothing I can do to relieve it since I can hardly touch the ground. Slade walks around me a few times before stopping in front of me.

"I'll break you apprentice." That is all he says before he begins to beat me. Every so often he will stop and speak to me for a few minutes about how I belong to him and will always belong to him and how I will make such a wonderful apprentice when he finishes training me. I listen to each of his words and slowly I begin to believe him. He calls me worthless and a failure as his apprentice and if I want to do better I have to strive to do better in his eyes. I eventually even find myself nodding as he speaks and slowly the beatings become fewer and fewer.

I don't know how long I hang there but by the time he is done I can feel the combination of blood and sweat as they cause the shirt to cling to my back. He really did a number on me this time. As suddenly as it started my punishment ends and I find myself laying in a heap on the floor as Slade releases the cuffs.

My wrists are sore and my arms feel like one hundred pound weights and there is no way I can move on my own. I see Slade standing over me. "We aren't done yet. You really disappointed me earlier apprentice. I can't let you off easily this time. You aren't learning fast enough so I'm going to have to teach you a lesson the hard way." Fear overrides the pain of my body and I feel numbness spread through me. I watch in terror as Slade removes the drug from the pouch on his hip and measures a dose. I notice that it is just enough to leave me disoriented and conscious.

I'm too tired to move when Slade kneels down beside me and injects the drug into my arm. Almost immediately it is difficult to think andit is hard toremember where I am. Slade is smiling at me now as he removes a key from his pocket and walks over a long door that is built into the floor of the room.

He opens the door to reveal a space just big enough for a person to lie in and then returns to my side. He lifts me up in an almost gentle manner and places me inside the small space. I'm still aware enough to know what is happening. He's only used this punishment once before. It was immediately after he captured me and was his way of breaking me. I knew that when the door closed there would be no light and the only sounds would come through a small vent that allowed me to breathe.

The door closes and I'm left in absolute darkness. Almost immediately the combination of the drug and my own fearmakeme begin to panic. Then I hear it. It is a recording of Slade's voice that tells me over and over again that I'm Slade's apprentice and that the friends I used to fight with are actual my enemies.

The panic grows in my chest as the drug takes more and more control of my body. I know that there is no escape but I struggle anyway. The space is so small however that I can hardly move and fear paralizes me.

As I lay there and listen to the voice of my downfall I use my last coherent moments to silently beg forgiveness from everyone that I'm going to betray. The other Titans won't understand what has happened to me. They will simply see my role as Slade's Apprentice as the ultimate betrayal. As for Batman, well I already failed him when I gave into Slade. I betrayed the one man who cared about me enough to treat me as a son. Tears track down my face as I think about how much the knowledge of my failure will hurt both Bruce and Batman and I suddenly hate myself with every fiber of my being.

I truly believe that I have failed him. I couldn't protect my mind and I let Slade slowly but surelydestroy everything that made me Bruce's son and Batman's sidekick. I know that by the time I'm released from my punishment I won't have a will to fight anymore and the person that everyone knew as Robin will be gone and only Slade's Apprentice will remain.

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Okay guys that is a wrap for chapter three. I warned you guys that this chapter would be dark and I lived up to my promise. Now on to my reviewers. 

**silverkitcat: **Thanks fore reading my story. I hope that you continue to read even if you don't know a lot of the characters. I actually plan to focus a lot more on the relationship between Robin and Bruce Wayne/Batman then on Robin's relationship with the other Titans. The other Titans will definitly be there though. Keep reading and thanks for the review.

**Alexnamdru Van Gordon: **It is always good to see repeat reviewers. If the beginning of the chapter didn't make a lot of sense chalk it up to the fact that Robin is being mentally and emotionally destroyed. He isn't going to be as sharp as he normally is. I added the serum because I don't see Robin truly breaking without it. I think Batman trained him better then that but training can only go so far. I also agree with you that Robin's relationship to Batman is a big part of him. The relationship will play a big part in later chapters. Keep the reviews coming.What part of Canada do you live in? I'm in Ohio which is US Eastern time zone.

**rixietrixie91:** Is that detail enough for you or do you want to read more? I'm going to try avoid relationships for now though. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and keep reviewing.

**Queen-morganalefay: **I'm glad you like my first person writing style. I agree that it is much harder to write in than third person but I like the challenge and believe it makes me a better writer overall. I usually only write infirst person when I'm trying to do harsh emotional angst and I find that you can explore a character's inner emotions when they are narrating. I was hoping that I got Robin's character right. I'm glad you like the first chapter. I figured an open first person chapter would be best and it gets the reader interested. Thanks for reading and reviewing and I hope you do so again.

**blaze: **I'm sorry I made you sad but I'm glad you enjoyed my story.8 ) As for the prologue, I tried to keep that pretty open. In truth I am more of a Raven fan then a Starfire fan (bet you couldn't guess that one with all the dark and gloomy running around)but I'm going to try and keep this fic couple free. Keep reading and reviewing I appreciate the feedback.

**Kellalor:** Good to hear that you found a first person angst that you actually enjoy. I like them but only if they are well done and I've gotten so much positive feedback on the style from another story I wrote in first person that I decided to try again. Keep reviewing I appreciate it.

**Crazy Girl Person, Little Red Ravenhood, and KaliAnn, **I hope all you guys enjoyedthe new chapter and continue reviewing.


	4. An Empty Shell?

**Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. **

**Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. **

**Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter.**

**Chapter Notes:**

Part of this chapter is told from Slade's perspective while the second half is told from Robin's point of view. The part with Robin is odd at first but I think the tone falls into place rather quickly. Let me know what you think.

In the next chapter we get to see a broader look at how the other Titan's react to the changes in their leader. I wanted to try and get some of that up in this chapter but I write under the belief that a story partially writes itself so when it gets written it gets written. I'm not going to force the plot along and ruin my writing style.

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Slade

He fights without thought now. He has done so since I managed to finally break him. It has been almost a week since that wonderful event and I couldn't be happier with the progress he has made toward becoming my Apprentice.

The boy that was Robin is no more and what is left is a shell that only exists to follow my orders and do as I command it to. He no longer fights against me and the submission that he shows to me exhilarates me.

I managed to bend the will of Batman's boy wonder to follow my every command. Sure it took drugs, emotional degradation, and physical torture but Robin belongs to me now. He will fight against the ones he loves most without even realizing that he has betrayed them.

The rest of the pathetic Titans won't understand why Robin has turned against them. Without their precious leader to lead them the will quickly crumble under the constant onslaught of the Great Slade and his Apprentice. Then once the annoying children are out of our way my Apprentice and I will rule Jump City with our iron fists.

With Robin as my Apprentice I will be unstoppable. That was why I chose Robin to become my Apprentice. I knew that Robin would survive as a perfect machine once I succeeded in bending his will to my desires.

In truth breaking him took longer than I thought it would. I chalk that up to the training he received from his former mentor. I should have expected such strength from someone who trained under the great Batman. I should never have underestimated Batman to train his sidekick to be anything less. It probably didn't help that Robin has been up against some of the greatest criminal masterminds to ever exist.

I will rise above them all though because I'm the one who broke Robin to my will. The boy doesn't belong to Batman anymore. I've seen Robin's glassy blue eyes as he fights and I know that the only time anything but emptiness shows inside them is when I praise him. He completely belongs to me and I'm going to enjoy watching him as he destroys his former teammates.

I walk over to where Robin has been working out and his movements slow as he notices me walking toward him. By the time I reach him he has completely stopped and he stares at me with blank, glassy, emotionless blue eyes as he waits for me to speak. When I had finally broken him I had given him his new costume as my Apprentice and part of the outfit is a new mask that allows me to see his eyes. When I look into his eyes my victory over him feels more complete.

"You are doing well my Apprentice." I watch in amusement as something akin to pride replaces the emptiness of his eyes and continue. "Tomorrow night will be the first encounter that the Teen Titans will have with you since I rescued you from their brainwashing." Robin nods as I continue. "You must be careful because they will try to trick you by saying that you are their friend and I am your enemy. You must not listen to them." I gesture towards the showers. "Go take a shower then get some rest. You must be rested for tomorrow." The boy before me bobs his head in agreement before turning and heading for the shower.

I turn and make my way toward the bases control center. When I enter the room the lights immediately brighten and the monitors flicker to life to reveal several different streaming video feeds. I adjust a couple of the monitors closest to me until pictures of the Titan's Tower appear on the screens. The base is quiet now and a low evil laugh escapes my throat as I think about the chaos that will soon consume the Teen Titans.

Soon the remainder of the troubling group will be crushed under the might of my Apprentice and I will be free to take over Jump City and Robin will be completely lost to the darkness forever. I watch the various monitors and news casts for a few more minutes and find nothing of interest before shutting everything down and making my way to my private quarters. Soon I would have my revenge against the Titans and the idea of victory brought peaceful sleep to me almost immediately.

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Robin

I lie on the narrow cot of my room and stare at the ceiling as I wait for sleep to overtake me. This is what Slade has reduced me to. The slim emotionless body that is lying here is nothing but a shell of what I used to be. I act without thought to do whatever Slade orders me to do and what he doesn't order me to do I will do automatically with little or no thought as to why I'm doing what I'm doing. My body has to eat to survive and I have to sleep when I can.

There was once a real mind behind my actions but that mind has all but disappeared. I say all but disappeared because it is almost impossible, even for someone as evil as Slade, to completely destroy a person's mind. What was Robin and Dick Grayson still exists but that personality is so deeply buried in my subconscious that I doubt it will ever resurface. Not as long as I'm a servant of Slade anyway. All that remains is a shell known only as Apprentice. I am an emotionless slave created to serve Slade and I will do whatever my master commands me to do.

My purpose sounds so simple and yet when I sleep it seems so much more complicated. In my dreams I sometimes hear what was once Robin telling me that what I believe as the truth is actually a lie. He tells me that Slade is trying to use me and that I can't let him do it. His voice confused me at first. I couldn't understand why my master would use me and my confusion began to interfere with my performance so badly that my master noticed it and confronted me.

I told him about the dreams and he explained them to me. He told me that I was his Apprentice but the Teen Titans brainwashed me to fight against my master. He told me that the Robin that existed in my mind was the fragments of that brainwashing and that I must not believe anything the voice said because it was all a lie. That is why I now ignore the dreams of Robin and slowly those dreams have faded away.

However, there are other dreams that are not fading away. These dreams confuse me even more than the dreams about Robin and I haven't told my master about them because something inside me tells me to protect these dreams from Slade. There is just something important about them that I can't place my finger on.

When I have these dreams they almost always involve a group of bats and a feeling of security. Sometimes there is a man in them and this man will either be dressed in black or in normal clothes but I know that it is the same man every time. I know he is important but for the life of me I can't remember who is he or why he seems so familiar. I will probably never remember either because I will never tell Slade about these dreams.

I won't tell him because those dreams are the only times when I feel secure and safe. I don't want to risk the only relief I have from my master's constant training.

My eyelids start to droop and the need for sleep overcomes. As sleep overcomes me the thoughts of the dark stranger who haunts my dreams and protects me from my greatest fears scatter and I am left with my inner demons as sleep claims me.

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**That's it for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Things will get better I promise just bear with me. My stories write themselves. Now for review's questions.**

**Alexnadru van Gordon: **Thanks for the review. I'm glad you understood all the chapters so far and I hope the new one made sense as well. Thanks for the info about where you live. I was just curious how many hours there were between us. Sounds like it is about 2 or 3. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy the angst and I'll keep the chapters coming so you won't haunt me.

**Kirallie:** Yes drugging Robin is low and he is strong. You should get tosee the Titan's reaction in the next chapter.Don't fret though I have plans for the recovery process. Keep reading and reviewing.

**TigerHelix: **To find out what happens next you have to keep reading. Next chapter should be a confrontation with the Titans if that helps. Keep reading and reviewing.

**KaliAnn: **Don't fret, I can't leave him like this. He will recover. Please keep reading and reviewing.

**Aeris-Raven: **I'm glad you like my ability to describe events. I think it one of my definite strengths and to hear a review say as much is a huge confidence builder. I hope you found more quotes you liked in this chapter. Thanks for the review, please do so again.

**Tarien Lakilea Tel'anor**: I hope I didn't leave you hanging too long. Things on my end are kinda hectic. I should be studying for finals but I just couldn't concentrate till I got a new chapter down on paper so I hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad you like my style. Keep letting me know what I'm doing right.

**Sarah Shima:** I try to make all my stories as believeable as possible, trying to do that, especially with angst is so important. Batman and praise are going to play important roles in this story. I think Robin has a lot of unresolved issues thatcenter on those two things and that is why he obsesses over Slade so much. Perfection and approval are part of his personality. Anyway, if you want to know what I'm alluding to here you need to keep reading and reviewing. I appreciate the time you took to give me feedback.

Thanks to everyone. Keep those reviews coming and I'llget the chapters up as soon as I can get them typed.


	5. A Friend to All

**Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. **

**Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. **

**Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter.**

**Chapter Notes:**

**Sorry for the delay between chapters 4 and 5. I had school issues to wrap up the last couple weeks and then I had to reorient myself with my computer games. I'm telling you take a couple weeks off from crime fighting and the city goes to seed while you are gone. City of Heroes rules! No I promise I do not have a problem so please call off the men in white coats who are coming to take me away. **

**This chapter is written from Cyborg's perspective. Other than that no more notes.**

**On with the chapter:

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**

I glance up from the video game that I am playing with Beast Boy and look around the Tower's Wreck room. The place has had an almost subdued atmosphere since Robin disappeared and it hurts to look around and not see him. Everywhere I look I see him. I see him playing video games with Beast Boy and I and I see him standing by the fridge drinking a soda, or coming downstairs after a late night of patrol.

A dull ache throbs through the human parts of my body which the mechanical part of my brain identifies as lose. Robin's disappearance has affected us all more than we want to admit. It's been almost two months since he disappeared and we are only now coming to terms with the idea that our best friend might not be coming back.

The idea scares us all. In a lot of ways he was like a glue that held us together as a team. Each of us claimed him as our best friend and he treated each of us like his best friend in return. He always helped me through the times when having a mechanical body got me down. He always helped me find the human that exists inside me when I could hardly find it myself. There has been more than one occasion when I was ready to give up and not plug myself in to charge so I wouldn't have to get up the next morning to face the fact that I was never going to live a normal life. Robin convinced me that I was important and that what little remained of my natural body could still make a difference. If he never comes back I won't get to tell him how much he means to me.

I know that Robin means just as much to me as he does to the other Titans. I remember dozens of times when Beast Boy would run off to Robin to tell him his newest joke. Robin would always listen and laugh just enough to make Beast Boy feel like he did something great. Robin was even willing to try one of Beast Boy's vegetarian recipes when no one else. I know that the little green changeling misses Robin so much even though he tries to hide it under a good natured optimistic façade.

Then there are Raven and Starfire. I think Robin's disappearance has affected the two of them the most. Starfire has been so quiet and reserved while Raven has been almost completely withdrawn and snappish. She almost always stays in her room when we aren't on patrol. Each time I try to talk to her she tells me that it is none of my business and that she needs to meditate. I guess I can't really blame her for that because she does need to do that to keep her powers in check. Tonight is the first night in almost a week that she has actually decided to join us in the wreck room.

I know that Robin would be able to talk to her once and figure out everything that is bothering her. He was always able to do that when she got in a mood. He would just disappear for a little while and go talk to her when the rest of us were busy with something. He always seemed to understand how to handle her when she was being emotionally distant.

If you ask me I say it's because he trained with the Batman for so long. I've seen the guy plenty of times on TV and in every shot he's dark, brooding, and emotionless. You have to pick up some tricks along the way when you train under a guy like that. There has to be more than that to the man though. Nobody can be that unfeeling all the time. Just like there is more to Robin then he admits to us. To us he is just Robin but I know he has to have a civilian identity when he takes off the mask. It must be the same for the Batman.

I'm smart enough not to question Robin's relationship to Batman because the one time Starfire tried to bring it up to Robin he got very quiet and there was a hint of underlying anger that told us all to back off. Star didn't catch the hint and just kept going and we finally had to make Star be quiet before Robin got mad at her.

That whole experience was weird though. Robin's anger wasn't directed at Batman but at Star. We had been watching the news and they had done a report about the Batman. They had even showed some film that had been captured during one of his battles with one of the big guys out of Gotham. Star had been disgusted and upset when she saw the rough methods that Batman used to fight crime. She thought that his methods were brutal and insensitive and Robin just kinda flipped and stormed out of the tower.

I don't think Star ever really got the hint not to talk about Batman around Robin but despite that whole incident she and Robin stayed friends. Robin constantly helps her learn to grasp earthly concepts that she would otherwise have no clue about and they seem to have a good friendship. I think Star thinks that it will grow into something more one of these days but I'm not sure. After Star's comments about Batman there is a coldness that exists in Robin that Star just doesn't notice.

I know Raven notices though, but then she is an empath and picks up on almost all the emotions that arise in this tower. That is why I don't really blame her for needing to meditate so much. All four of us have been pretty emotional since Robin's disappearance and I know that she has definitely been feeling it.

The weeks after Robin's disappearance were pure agony for all of us as we practically ran ourselves into the ground with exhaustion. I don't think we got more then two to three hours at a time as he shook down every lead and contact for any evidence or clue that would point to the location of our best friend. Slade had covered his tracks too well and the leads quickly dried up. When the leads and possible clues dried up we were all devastated and really too upset to care.

I saw how badly it was affecting everyone, especially the girls, and pulled Beast Boy aside. We agreed that I would take over leadership of the team until Robin returned and that we needed to try and bring a more natural feel back to the Tower. We had to do it before the four of us went crazy.

When we told Starfire that we had to slow down on our search for Robin and actually focus on fighting crime she was angry. She couldn't believe that I wanted to give up on our best friend. Raven took it much better and it was her level headed words that finally calmed Star down. She had told Star that Robin wouldn't want us giving up on our mission to fight crime just because he wasn't there with us. She told her that we couldn't give up on Robin like. He had worked too hard to make us a team and if we threw it away then we wouldn't be doing Robin a bit of good.

I felt really bad about making us refocus, after all Robin was my friend too and I didn't want to give up on him but we had a to protect the city. I was relieved when Raven actually sought me out. She had thanked me for trying to keep things right with the team. She's been slightly more agreeable since than but not much. Her emotions are still uncontrollable but we are keeping it together.

I refocus on the game as Beast Boy starts a new match of the game he picked up called "Supreme Ultimate Warrior of the Cosmos". The premise is pretty simple manipulate your little guy into beating the crap out of the other players' guy until one of you can't stand anymore. You would think we would get enough of this type of thing just by being superheroes but the realistic violence created by millions of individual pixels is just too thrilling to put down.

After thoroughly beating him I stand and stretch. He looks at me in frustration.

"I was so close to beating you that time man. Why are you quitting? I just know I can beat you next time." I can't help but grin at him.

"Sure BB, don't worry buddy I'm just stretching and taking a short break. I'm gonna go to the kitchen and grab a soda do ya want one?" He thinks about it for a second before a grin spreads across his face.

"Sure Cy, grab me one would ya man? I'm thirsty, getting my butt kicked is harder than it looks." I laugh.

"No BB, kicking your butt is harder than getting your butt kicked." Before he can say anything I make my way to the door but stop as a reach it. I turn to the girls who are setting silently on the sofa.

"Do you two want something to drink?" Raven shakes her head.

"I'll make tea for myself before I go to bed." I turn to Star.

"Star? A drink?" She thinks for a second before replying.

"Thank you friend Cyborg but no." I shrug my shoulders and nod.

"Your call girl. I'll be back in a couple minutes." I leave the room and head for the kitchen. I grab the sodas from the fridge and make my way back. As I enter the room I cast a worried glance at the girls and walk over to the small of knot of what remains of my friends. I hand out the sodas and am about to sit down to resume the game when the alarms of the tower begin to go crazy.

I immediately dash over to the computer console and shut them off before beginning to furiously fiddle with the dials to see what had caused the disturbance. Almost immediately the image of our game on the screen disappears to reveal Slade's image.

I glance back to look at the other Titans before returning to face the screen. Raven and Starfire are staring at the screen with almost identical looks of hatred and I expect the screen to explode any second due to Raven's powers but she is keeping a tight reign on her anger.

"Hello Titans."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH FRIEND ROBIN?" I wince as Starfire suddenly starts screaming at Slade but Raven quickly silences her with her powers and Slade chuckles darkly.

"You are most impatient my dear girl. Keep your temper in check or I will sever the connection and make sure you never see your precious boy wonder again." I feel dread pool in my stomach as I listen to Slade continue to speak.

"The docks, tomorrow night at midnight, Warehouse seven." With that the connection goes dead and the game Beast Boy and I were playing flickers back on like nothing had happened.

The TV suddenly explodes as Raven looses control of her emotions and disappears in a flash of black energy. I know she's gone to her room to meditate and don't dare follow her. I'll try talking to her later but right now she needs to be alone.

My gaze flickers to Star who is sitting on the couch with a stunned empty look on her face. I can see the trail of tears as they silently course down her face but before I can move to comfort her Beast Boy has pulled her to him and is muttering soothing words into her ear. I can't hear much of them but I know from what I do hear that he is reassuring her and calming her down.

Being as there is nothing I can do to help either of them I head upstairs to check on Raven. I make my way up to the wing of the tower where our rooms are and knock. She doesn't answer and try the knob. It turns and I open it slightly. The light that spills into the room casts long shadows and I see Raven sitting cross-legged on her bed. She looks up at me asI enter and I can feel the emotion rolling off her in waves. I know she doesn't like to project like this but right now she can't help it.

When she doesn't tell me to get out I let myself in and shut the door. My artificial eyes compensate for the darkness and I make my way over to sit on the end of her bed.

"How ya doin?" She laughs bitterly.

"How do you think? I'm feeling everything you are plus my own emotions. Rage, fear, anger, the need for revenge, dread, I feel it all and a dozen others that I can't identify. Robin could already be dead and Slade is just baiting us into a trap but we won't know until we are already caught but you already know that."

"I do but I can't stop you, or Star, or BB from going on the chance that he isn't. Hell the mechanical half of my brain can't even stop my human side on this issue. We will go and we will do what we have to do. There isn't anything less we can do." My words seemto calm her because the waves ofenergywere surrounding us calm slightly and she sighs.

"I hope you are right."

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**Responses to my wonderful reviewers:**

**Alexnadru Van Gordon:** I'm glad you liked the conflicted parts of Robin's personality.As I said to reviewers before Batman will be important. Keep reading to find out how. I'm glad you think Slade is creepy, because he is and he should be. Please R&R again.

**Queen-Morganalefay:** I understand not reviewing after every chapter. Some chapters are always better than others. If I were giving out prizes for reading my mind the first one would go to you. Batman will be in this story just keep reading to find out how. I'm glad I can show emotion when I don't have much to build on. Most of Robin's emotion at this point is built around confusiion and fear. Thanks for the review and I hope you keep reading even if you don't.

**PinkFlamingo44:** Thanks for the review. As you can see you will get to see the Titan's reaction to Robin as Slade's Apprentice next chapter. I hope their emotional states for this chapter helped tied you over to next chapter though. Keep reading and reviewing.

**rixietrixie91:** I'll keep going. I plan to cover Robin's emotional recovery very extensively. The poor boy has a lot of issues to work out and I want to see him go through all the stages of grief, guilt, ect... You got a few emotional hints in this chapter. I hope you picked up where they are going. Thanks for the review.

**KaliAnn:** Robin isn't necessarily evil, just really really confused and yes evil in a sense. I hope you keep reading. I definitly believe that all heroes walk a delicate line between two very different worlds. Just look at Hal Jordan (Green Lantern if you don't know who I'm talking about.) He fell from grace twelve years ago and it has only been in the last six months that he actually started returning to his role as GL. A fact that I am extremely happy about by the way. I understand the line that a hero walk. Thanks for the review and keep them coming.

**Disky:** Even though you reviewed the wrong story in your review I still forgive you. I appreciate the longer e-mail you sent me about my fic. I agree that Starfire and BB are not naive, but instead young. It's the truth, they are young and emotional, as are the rest of the Titans. Robin's emotional limits are definitly going to be tested in upcoming chapters. He has a lot of mental issues and unresolved conflict to deal with and he's going to have to dig some things out of the closest to completly heal the wounds that Slade will leave on his soul. Thanks for the deep, in-depth review, keep them coming they are much appreciated.

**Sara J:** Sorry about the length between chapters. I've had school issues to wrap up then I pretty much took 5 days to veg out and play video games. My characters definitly needed to go out and fight some crime. I swear you take a couple days off the job and the city goes to seed. Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like my writing style. I try to vary the perspectives of the chapters so my readers get a look into all my characters psyches. I think knowing what someone is thinking is just as important as not knowing what is going on. I can't tell you how Batman is going to figure into the story. That would be giving it away. Keep reading and reviewing to find out.

**TigerHelix**: Thanks for the review.


	6. Meeting the enemy

**_Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. _**

**_Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. _**

**_Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter._**

**_I owe everyone huge, huge apologies for the time between chapters. Life has been hectic but I'm back now and the chapter following this is mostly written so you won't have to wait as long as before.

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_**

_Robin_

I kneel in a crouched position behind a pile of crates in the corner of the warehouse and wait for my opponents to arrive. The warehouse that Master has chosen is large and filled with a literal maze of crates and boxes. It is perfect location to carry out Master's plan for defeating the Titans. To make Master proud I spent most of the day mapping out the warehouse in my head so I will have every advantage at my disposal. According to Master the Titans do not know that they will have to fight me when they arrive and this surprise will also work to our advantage. When Master gives me the signal I am to reveal myself to my enemies and make them pay for what they tried to do to me.

A slight, emotionless smile graces my features as I think about what Master and I will be able to do when we have rid ourselves of our mutual enemies. We will be able to completely rule over the citizens of Jump City who will be left defenseless without the Titans to protect them. Our victory will be absolute and I will hopefully get the praise from Master that I so desperately yearn for.

I share Master's enthusiasm and hope that our goal will be accomplished as easily as master hopes it will be. However a small voice in the back of my mind keeps telling me that what Master wants to do is wrong. The small voice comes from the part of my mind that remembers a man in black and the soft voice of someone who sounds like he would have made a good mentor. What was once me continues to survive in these mere tatters of my mind. It is the part of my mind where the soul of Robin and Dick Grayson lies buried. Their soul will never return as long as I remain under Master's constant control.

Master tells me that I must disbelieve any memories that still linger in my mind because they are false memories that the Titans used to brainwash me. Master also warned me that I must be especially careful around the Titan called Raven because she is the Titans who brainwashed me.

Master says that if I am not careful then the Titans will use my false memories against me in an attempt to once again brainwash me. He has explained that this is why he has been so harsh on me since he rescued me from the Titan's grasp. He has had to spend precious time retraining my mind and the only way to do that is with cruelty. I must defeat the Titans once and for all because if I fall under their combined skills then my retraining will have to continue.

I hang my head in shame as I think about all the time that my master had to spend retraining my mind so it would be able to withstand the onslaught of Raven's mental abilities. If I had been stronger in the first place my master would have not had to waste precious time that should have been used to bring the Titans to their knees.

When my opponents have been defeated I will be able to experience master's praise. I will make him proud and will be rewarded. I know that Master will only reward me if I do well so I must do well.

Master claims that our victory over our arch enemies will be swift and complete and that there will be nothing that the pathetic Titans can do to stop us from certain victory. Master says that my mental training has gone much better then he anticipated and he praised me for doing so well and helping him return to what I was before the Titans brainwashed me. It was by far the most praise I had received from Master since he rescued me from the Titan's grasp. His praise has also served to increase my willingness to fight.

My willingness to fight is also fueled by the hate I feel for the Titans. I don't like being used and since the Titans tried to use me they will pay dearly for their transgressions. I know that I am a strong fighter and a good warrior and that I'm not someone to be tossed about lightly. The training that Master has given me has helped harden me against the onslaught that the Titans will bring against me.

I have read the bios on our foes and I know that the Titans will not be brought to their knees easily. They are a good team and I know enough not to underestimate my opponents. Someone taught me that much, memories of the man in black once again flash through my mind but I force myself to tune them out.

If I want to beat the Titans and make Master proud I must focus on my goal and my only goal tonight is to fight and to win. I must win, I will not let Master down because doing so will prove to my master that he has not yet rid me of the Titan's influence. To appear weak before my master now would be the worst thing I could ever do and it would be the ultimate disappointment in the eyes of Master.

I force myself back to the present and glance at my watch. It is about fifteen minutes until the Titans are supposed to show up. Master assures me that they will be on time so I must be on my guard or I will be taken by surprise. Outside the warehouse there is a violent storm raging and I can think of no atmosphere more fitting for the defeat of the Titans. A bolt of lightning briefly illuminates the center of the warehouse and I can see the stretching shadow of Master from where he patiently stands in the center of the building.

His silent figure is quite impressive as it is silhouetted against the darkness of the night. The yellow of his uniform will catch in the brief bouts of lightning and a shiver of fear passes down my spine. Master is clearly one who should not be taken lightly and there is suddenly no doubt in my mind when I think of our victory over the Titans. Together Master and I will make an unbeatable team and the Titans will find themselves begging for our mercy.

_Slade_

I can feel the eyes of my Apprentice as he watches me from his hidden position. The boy has come so far in the two months since I spirited him away from his friends. He is still young and has much to learn about the ways of a villian but his training will continue once the Titans are defeated. I know how my young apprentice yearns to receive my praise and I take great pleasure in watching Batman's protégé kneel at my feet in servitude.

In truth the need to break the boy was part of the reason I decided to make him my apprentice. I knew that someone who was trained by the legendary Batman would make an excellent addition to my growing arsenal of villains. I have come to realize that Robin is not only an excellent fighter but also a genius in every sense of the word. I knew he was smart but not to such a great extent.

A noise outside the warehouse draws my attention away from the thoughts of my apprentice and back to the situation at hand. Tonight will spell certain doom for the pathetic Titans and I will use one of their own to bring about their downfall.

A cruel smile forms under my mask and I take a couple steps back so I am completely surrounded in shadow and not immediately visible to the Titans as the door to the warehouse slides open.

From my vantage point I can see the figures of the four young heroes as they stand in the mouth of the massive building. A heat sensor that is built into my mask reveals that Beast Boy is not actually among them. They must be using something to imitate the young changeling's appearance. They are acting much more wisely then I anticipated them to and I glance around until a flash of lightning suddenly reveals the form of a small green mouse as it peeks over the edge of a support beam.

I return my gaze to the others and an evil smile slowly spreads across my face. The three youths are soaked through to the skin from the storm and as lightning flashes yet again their shadows briefly stretch across the stained concrete of the warehouse floor.

My smile widens as I consider the fact that the Titans have no idea what they are about to face. They think I am simply holding their precious boy wonder hostage and that if they beat me then they will be able to save Robin.

The three in the doorway take their cautious first steps into the building and once they are far enough inside I push a button on a small remote and the door slams shut with a violent screech. Starfire spins around in fright to stare at the door while Raven and Cyborg take defensive positions and prepare for an immediate frontal assault.

What greets them instead is my soft laughter and monotone clapping as I step from my place in the shadows. Almost as if I had cued it lighting flashes outside and illuminates the yellow of my mask in what I imagine is a slightly unnerving sight.

"Hello Titans and welcome to your doom." Raven's jaw clenches and Cyborg raises his arm cannon a little higher.

"It's not our doom you should be worried about Slade. You're goin down." I laugh quietly at Cyborg's words.

"You children are so naïve. I find it hard to believe that you have foiled by attempts so many times in the past but you are nothing without my apprentice at your side."

Their faces immediately cloud with confusion but I do not allow my satisfaction to phase me.

"You tried to brainwash my Apprentice against me. I know your game and I saw through it. My apprentice serves only me and your pathetic attempts to control his mind have failed." Cyborg and Raven seem to recover from my words the quickest and they both speak.

"You're crazy Slade. We'll defeat you once and for all this time."

"Yes you can't get away from us this time. We will stop you and save our friend."

A smile that they can't see spreads across my face and I cross my arms across my chest.

"Try and stop me Titans. Your precious Robin belongs to me as he always has and always will. You will not prevent me from training my Apprentice." My words are obviously too much for Starfire because she screams and flies at me.

"DO NOT TALK ABOUT FRIEND ROBIN THAT WAY!" I effortlessly do a back flip onto a pile of nearby crates in order to avoid her star-bolts attack and stare down at the fuming girl.

"It is not wise to lose your temper my dear girl." My words seem to infuriate her even more and she jumps at me with her fists flaming. This time all her friends decide to join in and I give whistle sharply as I jump out of their range and glance up to see Beast Boy falling toward me from the ceiling. As he falls he changes to his human form but right as he is about to tackle me a dark form knocks him out of the air and pins him down.

I quickly remove my remote from my pocket and hit another button. The lights of the warehouse immediately flicker on and I hear the surprised gasps as the Titans witness what I have done to their precious Boy Wonder.

It only takes a couple of well placed punches and my Apprentice has Beast Boy out cold. Once has knocked the other boy out my Apprentice turns to look at the other Titans.

"Friend Robin?" Starfire takes a few cautious steps toward him but the glazed empty look in his icy blue eyes causes her to stop. Cyborg is the next to try and snap him out of it. I can also see Raven as she mutters her words of power to summon her abilities.. I can tell by the look on her face that she is trying to make contact with Robin's mind.

"I can't reach his mind Cyborg. There is a wall that I can't get passed. Slade has brainwashed him and I can't get through to him."

"Come on Rob, snap out of it. We're your friends buddy." Robin turns his empty eyes to the other boy and speaks for the first time in a broken monotone voice.

"I have no friends and you all will pay for trying to use me against my master." The remaining Titans are clearly shocked by their friend's words. I take in each of their reactions and savor them.

Starfire looks like she is about to cry. Cyborg's human face is twisted in a look of dismay, but it is Raven's reaction that surprises me the most. I am not used to seeing emotion on the young goth's face. Right now she is clearly caught been confusion, fear, and desperation. It is an interesting mix and it makes me wonder if there wasn't something more then just friendship between the she and my apprentice.

It matters not as I step forward and address my Apprentice.

"You see my Apprentice, I told you they would lie to you. They want you to continue living the lie that they created for you. Are you going to allow them to do that?" My Apprentice shakes his head and I see a small bit of anger enter into his emotionless blue eyes.

"I thought not. Finish them and have your revenge."

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Reviews: Now we take the time to look at the reactions to my wonderful reviewers. Sorry for the long wait.

**silverkitkat:** Thanks for the patience between chapters. I'm back now and reviews should be more frequent. The reactions to Robin will continuein the next chapter. Batman does not know Robin is missing but he will soon and he won't be happy that he was kept in the dark. Keep reviewing each one is much appreciated.

**Queen Morganalefay:** There will be more reactions by everybody in the next chapter and Bats will show up in a couple of chapters. I'm sorry to keep you waiting for the new chapter but things have been rather busy. I'm back though and the next chapter should be out soon. Thanks for adding me to your C2. I love publicity.

**Alexnadru Van Gordon:** If Slade left the Titans alone then I woudn't have a plot and you wouldn't have a story to read. : ) Sorry for the long time between updates Iwas starting to hear strange noises in my attic so I figured I should update before the haunting got anymore extreme. You will get the rest of the events at the docks in the next chapter and Bats will be showing up in a couple of chapters.

**pinkflamingo44:** I haven't officially announced pairings yet and as you can see I set up the next chapter yet again. The next chappie should be up soon and I'll start hinting more seriously at pairings in the next few chapters.

**Little Red Ravenhood:** I feel bad for the Titans as well, well, not really but now they know what has happened to Robin and they will have to decide what to do with that information. Keep reading to find out.

**Sarah Shima:** I'm glad you liked Cyborg's perspective. His perspective was really the only perspective I could write the chapter from. I couldn't do the girls because I'm trying to keep a pairing out of it for as long as possible and I'm just not a BB fan. The haven't told Batman yet and I can dare a guess that he isn't going to be too happy about being left out of the loop. Keep reading to find out more.

**KaliAnn:** Yes the titans do fall apart without their leader but they aren't done yet and their reactions so far are only the tip of the iceberg. I like the fact that he doesn't have any powers but that is what makes him so special. Anyway thanks for the review and I hope you liked the new one.

**Sara J:** I'm trying to keep the story open perspective wise and I wanted my readers to see everybody's reaction to Robin's disappearance. I promise there will be more reactions in the next chapter. Keep reading and updating.

**Rose Eclipse:** I miss having Batman around in the show but I understand why he is not. Robin is tryingto grow out of the shadow of the Bat and hismental evolution will play a large part of the story. The time with Slade hasn't done Robin's mental state any good either.He has a lot ofissues to work out and he will work them out in thenext couple chapters. Just bear with me and it will allwork outfor him. Thanks for the review and keep them coming.

**Yersi Fanel:** I'm glad you like my story. It's really good to hear. There will be more chapters in the near future because i can't leave my storywith this big of a cliff hanger.Keep reading and reviewing.

**Robinfan:**Thanks forreviewing. I'm glad you like it.


	7. War between friends

**_Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show. _**

**_Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out. _**

**_Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. I addressed reviews from the last chapter in personal replies to everyone who I could reach. If you replyed anoymously however you did not get a reply so please sign in so I can give you guys feedback._**

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**_I owe huge, huge, huge apologies to EVERYONE for the length of time that has extended between chapters 6 and 7. I had this chapter written but I scrapped it and totally rewrote it like 5 times before I was finally happy with my writing. I hope the new chapter is worth the wait. Again I'm sorry it took so long to get written. Hopefully this won't happen again._**

**_Now, after long wait the newest chapter of 'Unwilling Apprentice'.

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**Last time:**

"_You see my Apprentice, I told you they would lie to you. They want you to continue living the lie that they created for you. Are you going to allow them to do that?" My Apprentice shakes his head and I see a small bit of anger enter into his emotionless blue eyes._

"_I thought not. Finish them and have your revenge."

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_

The remaining Titans spin to stare at me as I speak and I am delighted to see the looks of pure disbelief and horror on their faces. My apprentice appears to take no notice of their obvious confusion and uses their momentary distraction to press his advantage.

With a cry of anger he draws his bow staff and lunges toward his former friends. Cyborg notices him first and manages to raise his arm to shield his face with just enough time to stop my Apprentice's staff. As the two metal items come into contact sparks fly and my Apprentice draws back his staff and strikes again.

Cyborg is taken back by his friend's anger and he clearly doesn't want to hurt my Apprentice so he blocks the blow again. Instead of trying to attack from a different angle my Apprentice grips the staff with both hands and begins attempting to push the larger boy back. Cyborg grabs the staff and the two boys become locked in a stalemate which Cyborg attempts to use to talk his friend down.

"Come on Rob snap OUT OF IT!" Cyborg calls upon the energy in his power cells to shove my Apprentice backwards. My Apprentice lands in a crouched position but refuses to take his eyes off of his opponent.

"Slade is using you Rob. You have to believe me. Whatever he has told you is a lie. We're your friends man." I can't see the eyes of my Apprentice but I can see the line of his jaw harden in anger.

"You're lying. Master has told me what you attempted to do to me. He told me how you brainwashed me into believing I was your friend so you could use me against master. I won't fall for your tricks again." Cyborg stares at my apprentice with a look of shock and dismay clearly plastered on his face. If Robin were not so throughly under my control I have no doubt that the boy would instantly realize that something is amiss with this situation but as the boy exists now he only sees the people who tried to use him.

Starfire suddenly launches herself at my Apprentice and wraps her arms around his chest in an attempt to trap him. Robin twists at just the right second however and manages to free his arm before she can get a good grip. If the girl were really trying to restrain him she would not have failed as she has but I can tell that she is trying not to hurt him. She is still clinging to the hope that he will snap out of whatever has been done to him. It will not happen however. My hold on his mind is too great.

I watch with a slight smile forming under my mask as Robin uses his free arm and his body's momentum to flip Starfire off of him. The girl clearly didn't expect such a move from him and she lands in a heap on the ground. She lies there with a stunned expression on her face for a few seconds before scrambling to her feet. Suddenly her fists light up as she gathers her energy and launches a couple of her star-bolts towards the feet of my apprentice. The boy effortlessly leaps out of the way and lands at the edge of the now destroyed concrete.

"Is that the best you can do? I came here actually expecting a fight. You will not be able to brainwash me against my master once again. I won't let you do it." A noise from behind my apprentice draws his attention and he spins just in time to see a large piece of industrial strength rope become animated by Raven's powers. The rope arches toward Robin and he pulls a grappling hook from his belt and fires it at the ceiling. The cable lifts him out of the way just as the rope shoots toward where he was standing.

I turn towards Raven to see the look of concentration on her face before returning my gaze to my apprentice. The child is crouched in the shadows created by the rafters of the warehouse and the bright lights that are glaring down upon the Titans are preventing them from seeing exactly where he is. I am pleased to see that my apprentice is using the shadows to his advantage as he moves to a better position above the titans.

Suddenly one of my apprentice's bird-a-rangs flies from the ceiling and strikes Cyborg directly in the center of the arm which houses the young man's energy cannon. The weapon shorts out but does not destruct completely. Such an explosion would have probably killed the boy and endangered myself and my apprentice. My smile widens as I see the inherent wisdom in my apprentice's actions. He is doing better than I expected him to do.

I notice that Starfire is preparing another barrage of her star-bolts which she fires at the ceiling. The girl is clearly not thinking. Her actions might reveal where my apprentice is but her attack will also weaken the building's structure considerably. She is stupid for trying such a tactic and her friends notice because Raven screams at her to stop but it is too late. Her attack charges toward the ceiling and I look up to make sure that my apprentice has moved out of harm's way. He is well ahead of me, having already moved when he saw Starfire preparing to attack.

The star-bolts hit the rafters and the whole building shakes for a few brief seconds. I keep my eyes on my apprentice as he leaps to the floor. He knows better than to be trapped in the rafters when the building might come down around his head. I quickly glance toward the other Titans. Cyborg is staring at Starfire like she has lost it while Raven is using her powers to repair some of the damage to the roof. Starfire, for her part seems to be trapped in the fact that she could have easily killed not only Robin but her other friends as well. Another quick glance towards Beast Boy reveals that he is starting to stir. He took some hard hits from my apprentice but he is obviously stronger than I gave him credit for.

I hear something shift above me and a fine layer of plaster and concrete dust rains down from the ceiling and I quickly glance upward. The stupid girl obviously did more damage to the ceiling than I thought and I return my glance to Raven. There is a slight sheen of sweat forming on her forehead and I can tell that the stress of keeping the roof together is getting to her.

It is clearly no longer safe for us to remain here so I make a motion to my apprentice and he returns it with the signal that he understands. We are retreating before doing so becomes impossible. I have not worked this hard to train an apprentice to loose him before I can use him. I can see him making his way to my side and just as he reaches me Cyborg looks up to see us standing there. He cries out a warning and rushes toward but before he can reach us my apprentice pulls a pair of exploding smoke grenades from his belt and throws them right in the Titan's path. The minor explosion causes yet another whole in the concrete and the two of us use the smoke as a cover for our escape.

As we reach the door I turn back to see what has become of the Titans. Raven is splitting her powers to create a force field while still holding up the roof. The other Titans quickly gather around her and I can see that Starfire is holding up Beast Boy's barely conscious form. With a burst of black energy Raven uses her power to teleport the group to safety and I quickly make my retreat. I know that they will not continue their attack tonight. Their power is too diminished at this point to put up a decent fight. I am not disappointed with the events of the evening. The whole point of this encounter was to make the other Titans aware of what I had done to their precious leader and I successful in doing so.

I make my way to the place where my Apprentice is waiting for me and the boy immediately kneels in submission.

"I am sorry they escaped Master. I will do better next time." I can't help but smile darkly behind my mask. The boy has become so completely mine that it is almost pathetic. The way he kneels in submission thrills me. However he has not failed me this evening. I will not punish him because he did not waver in his obedience to my will.

"They escaped due to circumstances beyond your control. That stupid girl will be the cause of their downfall. She was the one who convinced the others to brainwash you. Could you tell how upset she was that I saved you from their power? You must be extremely careful about anything she tells you. Do not believe a word of it. She will tell you anything to make you believe that you are one of them. Do you understand?"

"Of course my master. Her own stupidity will be her undoing. I will not listen to her petty lies ever again." There is a note of pride and determination in my Apprentice's voice.

"Excellent my Apprentice. You have served me well tonight. Do not worry about the fact that they escaped. You have made it quite clear to them that you are no longer under their thumbs. They will not be so kind to you when you next meet. You must continue to train so you can beat them before they beat you."

My apprentice looks up at me and his glassy blue eyes fill with pride. He is proud to have served me so faithfully and with each word of kindness I layer upon him he falls more and more under my spell. The Titans will never reclaim my precious Apprentice and the boy will serve me for as long as I continue to control him. I reach down and gently run my gloved fingers through my Apprentice's hair. The boy leans into my touch as if he needs it to live and my spirits soar as I realize just how much power I hold over this child's existence.

"Let us return to base. We have much to do before our next encounter with the pathetic Titans." The boy nods in eager agreement and stands to follow me. He will do anything to receive my praise and knowing that I brought the great Robin to his knees pleases me more than I ever thought it would. Jump City will tremble when the Titans lie at my feet and I will make them suffer at the hands of my Apprentice before they do so.

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**That's the newest chapter. It was told completely from Slade's POV. I hope you guys liked it anyway and hopefully the wait for the next chapter will not be as long as the wait for this chapter. To all my loyal readers to stuck with me I appreciate each one of you and I hope everyone will decide to review.**

Sincerely: Coldfire


	8. views from all around

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is part of Teen Titans. I make no profit from the publication of this work of pure fiction.**

**Reviewers: I love all of you guys you are great. I've gotten 99 reviews for this story so far. I was going to wait for number 100 to be posted but I decided to be original and leave it at 99. Everybody review, you know I love all of you guys and anyone who hasn't gotten a personalized thank you for reviewing is going to get one soon. I reply to everyone I can so be sure you sign in to review to make my job easier.**

**On with the chapter.****

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Cyborg

The trip back to the tower was silent except for Starfire's soft sobs. I know she must feel bad about what she did but she should have thought her actions through a little better.

I still can't believe she did it. I know that Star gets emotional at times but tonight she totally lost it and almost got us all killed. I guess it is just proof of how Robin's disappearance has affected us. She looked so lost when we got back to the tower, lost and afraid.

I have to constantly remind myself that Star is not from this world. She doesn't have anyone but us to turn to and the idea that she almost killed us must be eating her alive. I will have to talk to her later and see how she is feeling.

Right now she is helping Beast Boy get settled on the couch with an ice pack and some pain killers. The little guy went down really hard earlier this evening and right now he has a killer headache. The quick escape we made probably didn't help either. If I remember correctly teleporting has always made him a little queasy.

The thought of Raven's teleportation power makes me realize that I haven't seen her since we returned to the tower. She had stayed with us long enough to make sure that we were all okay before she took off for the solitude of her room. I should probably leave her alone but this really isn't the time for someone like her to be alone. Now more than ever she needs her friends. We already lost Robin and I'll be cursed if we loose Raven as well.

I glance toward Beast Boy and Star. The ice and drugs seem to have done wonders for the changeling and he has his arms wrapped around Starfire who is crying her eyes out on his shoulder. I've become so used to seeing her cry over the last couple of months that it seems common place. She never cried when Robin was still with us. She was the picture of perky but now she has been reduced to something much less than she was.

With a sigh I turn away from them and make my way towards the wing that houses our sleeping quarters. I really want to retire to my own room and start thinking about what our next move will be but the need to check on Raven overwhelms me. I pass by my door and make my way to the end of the hall to her door.

I listen for a few seconds but don't really hear anything. She might already have gone to sleep but she seemed too emotional earlier to have gone to sleep already. I knock lightly and receive no reply. If she has gone to sleep than she won't mind be checking in on her so I reach out and turn the knob. Before Slade took Robin I never would have dreamed of entering her room unannounced but this is the second time in two days that I have felt compelled to do so. This kind of thing was something that only Robin was allowed to do and I never heard her complain about it.

I slowly push the door open and look inside. The room seems darker than it did last night and I can barely make out her curled form on the bed. I clear my throat and she looks up in shock. She clearly didn't expect anyone to come after her and I can see the tear tracks that have made their way down her pale skin.

When nothing comes flying at my head and she doesn't tell me to get out I make my way into the room and close the door. She stares at me with wide tearful eyes as I take a seat next to her on the bed. For a moment she turns away from me and scrubs viciously at her cheeks. I let her take her time. I'm here for her and she can have all the time she needs.

"I couldn't reach him." I'm surprised when she actually speaks. Raven is one of those strong silent types who rarely speaks to anyone. "I tried to reach his mind but he was blocking me out."

"I'm sure you did everything you could Rae."

"NO! I couldn't do anything. Don't you understand? I couldn't reach his mind. What's the point of having my powers if I can't help one of my friends?" I don't think I've ever heard her speak this much and I can tell from the tone of her voice that she is nearly hysterical. During her fit a few of her books and other small objects became victims of her power but I'm amazed at how well she is actually keeping everything under control.

"I understand girl just calm down. I'm sure you can help him we just have to get him away from Slade. You aren't going to be able to do anything when Slade is close enough to influence him." The two of us fall silent as memories from earlier in the evening wash over us. Raven begins to chant quietly under her breath and the books drop back to the floor.

As I sit beside her I can't get the memory of Robin's eyes out of my head. They were so emotionless, so empty, broken. He didn't even believe we were his friends. It had nearly killed me to fight him but I know that we can't let he and Slade run free. They would destroy the city in a heartbeat.

Our Robin would insist that we do everything in our power to stop them and as much as it is going to kill each of us to fight him none of us really have a choice in the matter. I know that Raven knows it and I know that Star and BB know it as well. Star might not accept it at first but deep down she knows what we will have to do if we can't snap Rob out of whatever Slade has done to him.

"Starfire almost got us killed tonight." I look up at Raven and nod before placing my head in my hands and sighing.

"Yeah." I really don't want to think about Star's actions, much less talk about them aloud but I know we have to do it at some point and that the best person to talk about them with will be Raven.

"What are we going to say to her?" I look up and stare at Raven for a moment. The tears are no longer running down her face and the cold emotionless mask that I am so used to seeing is back in place.

"I don't know." It is the truth. I really have no idea how to handle the situation. Team discipline was something we left to Robin and it is a craft that I have definitely not mastered in my two months as leader.

"She can't loose control like that again."

"I know."

"You need to talk to her."

"I know."

"Would you prefer that I do it?" I shake my head.

"No, we decided that I'm the leader of the team until we get Robin back and it's my job to talk to her." The two of us fall into silence and Raven looks away from me.

"Do you think we can get him back?" I let the silence extend between us as I try to think of an answer that might not turn out as an absolute lie in the near future.

"I know that I won't give up on him until we've tried everything we can to save him." She turns back to me and I can see a couple of tears in the corners of her eyes.

"What if our best isn't good enough?" She is full of questions tonight and I don't have answers for any of them. I am glad that she is asking them though. It means that she isn't completely shutting me out like she normally would.

"We will figure something out." It is the only answer I can give her right now and she seems to realize that I have no answers.

"Is Beastboy all right?" Finally a question I can answer.

"He seemed to be okay. Star was taking care of him and when I came up here he was trying to calm her down. She is taking this extremely hard."

"We all are." The two of us fall into an extended silence. Neither of us want to talk about what we are feeling. It is easier to talk in rational hows and whys but neither of really likes talking about our emotions. We just aren't good at it, not like Star and BB who have an almost uncanny ability to see the positive in a situation and express how they feel.

"How did it feel when you and Star were forced to switch bodies?" Raven stares at me in shock. She clearly didn't expect the sudden change of topic.

"Why are you asking? It really isn't relevant right now is it?"

"You know how her mind works better than I do. I'm just trying to figure out how she could loose control like that." Raven contemplates my question for a moment before responding.

"She didn't loose control. Her powers depend on her ability to show emotion and she got emotional. She didn't think Cyborg, she just reacted." I sigh in frustration. I had been hoping for a different response. I had hoped that Star's behavior was something that we could work on changing and making sure that it didn't happen again but I knew that it wasn't the case.

I stand and start pacing. I'm usually one who just kinda goes with the flow but now we need a plan, we need a plan or we won't survive. I'm so lost in my pacing that Raven's hand on my shoulder surprises me. I stop and look down at her.

"I'm not a leader Rae."

"You are doing the best you can. We all know that and we appreciate it. We probably would have drifted apart if you hadn't stepped up and kept us together." I nod. Her words hold a ring of truth to me. Each of us is so different that we need someone to hold us together.

"Thanks Rae, I'm trying."

"I know. Just keep trying and don't give up."

"I will. I need to go talk to Star." Rae gives me a small smile of encouragement and I head out of her room. As I reach the door she calls to me.

"If you need some help you know where to find me."

TGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTG

I pace back and forth across my narrow room. Master said that tonight's events went well. He says the message was delivered and that the Titans now know that they have no hold over me.

It is not enough for me. They got away, they should not have gotten away. I should have finished them so they could not dog the steps of my master and I. They are nothing but bugs that will be crushed under foot and when we next meet I will not let them escape me.

I told Master my thoughts when we returned to base. He laughed softly and told me that I would have my chance and when I did so he would not stand between me and them. I would be allowed to destroy them.

I think that he might have been pleased with my determination. My goal is to make him proud of my abilities. I want him to trust me and use my skills to help him conquer Jump City. It is an honor to stand at Master's side.

My mind constantly replays tonights battle. That red headed alien will be their downfall. She cannot restrain her emotions and I could immediately tell just by looking at her that she wanted to turn me back into a Titan's puppet. She will not be allowed to use me again.

With great effort I force myself to calm down and slowly I stop pacing. I must rest or Master will be angered with me. When I finally calm down enough to sleep I am only to be haunted by dreams.

I guess seeing the ones who used me invoked stronger feelings than I thought they would because my dreams are filled with the ghosts of past memories.

_My dream self tries to run from them but they chase after me and I cannot escape them. They are everywhere I turn and I fear that they will consume me. I want to scream but I find myself alone with no one to hear me. What is the point of crying for help if your cries only fade into the distance and go unheard?_

_I scream despite the logic against doing so and something in my mind stirs. The soft flutter of a thousand bat wings in flight surrounds me and two giant wings encircle and protect me. The feeling is so familiar yet foreign at the same time._

_Who is my mysterious protector? In answer to my query two images flash in my mind. One of a man in a business suit, the other of a masked man in black. The unknown cape and cowl seem so familiar yet no name comes to mind and I give myself over to the peace that this man offers. The soft flutter of bat wings on skin and I realize in my last moments of torment that bat wings aren't this soft. _

TGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTG

It has been two months, two months with no word from him. I know that Master Bruce and young Master Dick had a falling out before the young master left and headed to Jump City but he still kept in touch. We both knew that he was okay now we aren't sure of anything.

Master Bruce says very little about it but I know it bothers him. He checks the communicators in the Batcave almost religiously and I know that he is hoping for some word, the smallest indication that the young man he raised as a son is well.

He only worries in the privacy of the cave. Whenever that cape wraps around his shoulders and the cowl hides his eyes he is Batman, and Batman has no worries for a young man on the opposite side of the country. To worry then would be a weakness and the Dark Knight must show no weakness.

He worries even though he doesn't show it. I'm probably the only one who knows him well enough to see the worried set of his jaw or who knows the true reason that he snaps at the members of the Wayne board when he goes into the office.

Despite everything that has happened between them Master Bruce still considers Dick like a son and if anything has happened to the boy I'm sure that Bruce will hold himself responsible. He will know that his logic isn't logic at all but he will still blame himself.

The approaching sound of the the Batmobile pulls me from my thoughts and I prepare to welcome him home and tend to any injuries that he may have sustained throughout an evening of crime fighting.

The long sleek car screeches to a halt and the engines fall silent as the cab of the passenger seat slides back. Batman hops from the car and pulls the cowl down from around his face to reveal worried blue eyes.

"Any word from Robin?" I shake my head

"I'm sorry Master Bruce but there has been no word from the young master." My words dishearten him but I know that a part of him knew that there had been no word. He knows that I will contact him the second I hear something if he is not here to receive it himself.

"Thank you Alfred."

"I have prepared dinner for you. It is warming in the oven. Shall I lay it out for you Master Bruce?" He gives me a tired smile of appreciation.

"If you would be so kind." We take our leave of each other as he goes to shower and I to see to his meal. When he finally appears I have everything ready and he sits down to eat. I can't help but notice how he picks at his food. Suddenly he speaks.

"Do you think he would be offended if I suddenly showed up?" I think carefully before answering. If the source of Master Bruce's worry was focused on anything other than the young master he wouldn't have even bothered to ask. He simply would have acted. Unfortunately he likes to give Dick his space. He knows of the boy's need to prove himself and he fears that if he tries to become too involved that Dick will shut him out.

He worries though and he likes a certain amount of control over a situation. Not having heard from Dick in two months have definitely taken their toll on him.

"I'm not sure what master Dick's response would be. He might be offended but he might not be."

"What if I disguised the visit as part of a business trip? Wayne Industries has been working with California computer companies and we have a couple of manufacturing plants out there that I haven't visited yet." I wait as he falls silent for a moment. Each of us is considering the idea. We both realize that Master Dick would see through such a ruse in a heartbeat but it is better than having no ulterior motive for making the trip.

"I think that a business trip would be an acceptable ruse for making such a trip. It would satisfy the members of the Wayne board and you have been known to make surprise inspections before. I would like to think of it as a means of quality control."

"Thank you Alfred. I will inform the board tomorrow and will plan to leave in the next couple of days. I trust I can place it in your hands to have everything prepared."

"As you wish Master Bruce." I look down at the table. "Is there anything else I can get you sir?"

"No Alfred thank you."

"Than I shall take my leave sir and begin your preparations."

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**Just in case somebody didn't catch all the changes in character let me run through them really quick. The first part was told from Cyborg's POV, the second part was from Robin's POV (I've made that poor boy really messed up haven't I? Can you see the evil grin? The third part was told from Alfred's POV. I wanted to keep it detached from Batman so I needed an outsider looking in. Thank you DC comics for such a convient character.**

**For everyone who has been asking when Batman was going to show up there you go. He's in the fic now and will most likely remain a pretty big staple for the rest of the story.I'm actually trying to move the plot along so I hope everyone is happy with the developments.**

**Please comment. I love commentary. Feel free to make individual comments on each chapter. I'm happy either way.**

**TATA, for now,**

**Coldfire**


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